Page 57 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
“I need a carriage.” Amanda smoothed down her skirts and lifted her chin imperiously. “Now, if that is not too much to ask.”
The young man ducked his head as if Amanda had thrown some weapon at him. “The carriage is being worked on, Miss.”
“Worked on?” Amanda groaned. Of all the luck. The one day she chose to run away the carriage was unavailable. “We have more than one carriage.”
The stable boy grimaced. “His Lordship has requested the second carriage. I’m afraid it is at his disposal.”
“I am allowed a horse, am I not?” Amanda fought to keep the red from her face as her ire rose.
“Of course, Miss!”
Amanda was left in front of the stables. As she stood, she thought of what Graham had said. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she grew insulted for Lord Stanhope’s sake all over again.
She would go to Lord Stanhope and they would run away to be married. It happened on occasion, and they were a perfectly suitable match. Besides, Lord Stanhope was so clever and his wit so entertaining that surely they would be happy together.
It was not until the boy came back with a saddled horse that Amanda realised she had no idea where to find him. She accepted the reins of the horse with a smile. “Thank you.”
She allowed the boy to help her up into the saddle. Amanda did not let on where she was going. It would do her little good if her brother caught on that her threats had not been the vaporous ramblings that he always took her words for.
“Enjoy your ride, Miss,” the stable boy called as Amanda urged the mare down the path away from the house. She did not respond.
As soon as she was out of the gate, she turned her horse toward the vicarage. If Lord Stanhope had been to see Charlotte then perhaps she would know where the man was staying. It was the only thing she could do other than wander aimlessly unescorted all over the county.
Amanda urged her horse onward. She was grateful at least for the fair weather. She thought of all the things she could say to her former friend. It was Charlotte’s fault that Amanda was not in London at this very moment.
Yet she needed the woman’s help. If Amanda stayed away too long, Graham would send someone out to find her, so she would have to stay out of sight until she could find Lord Stanhope. Amanda let her thoughts wander as the horse followed the road to the vicarage.
The squat house sat in an oak-strewn stretch of road that some might have called quaint. Amanda might have called it quaint herself to be polite, but it struck her as a giant white toad sitting low under the oaks. She frowned as she pulled on her horse’s reins.
There was a child out front with a dirty face, but with quick eyes, who darted off into the house as Amanda climbed down from the mare’s back. It was a rather undignified thing as she had no one to help her, but what else was there to do? Once she reached the ground, she turned to look at the house.
Before she could decide how to approach the situation, the door came open. Charlotte and the boy from earlier appeared. Charlotte’s eyes grew wide. “Amanda? I mean, Miss Easterly, what are you doing here?”
Amanda sighed. “Never mind that. What shall I do with my horse?”
“Just tie her there,” Charlotte said as she came out of the door nodding at a post to the side of the yard. “She’ll be fine.” Amanda allowed Charlotte to take the horse’s reins and tie them safely onto the post.
Amanda cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
“Would you like to come in?”
Amanda nodded. It was rather warm out in the sun today. “That would be lovely. The road has left my throat a little dry.”
“Then I shall put on a kettle.” Charlotte ushered Amanda inside.
The outside of the house did not prepare Amanda for the inside. Amanda could not recall Charlotte’s house being like this before. It was suffocating. It was neat and tidy, but far too crammed full of filthy children for any real comfort.
“Are these the vicar’s children?” Amanda eyed the small girl that had toddled over to her with disturbance. “No. No. We shall not touch my skirts.” Amanda halted the girl with one of her gloved hands as the child reached for her dress.
Charlotte scolded, “Dot, stop that.” She scooped up the child and deposited Dot on her hip in one smooth movement that spoke of familiarity.
“You live here with these children?” Amanda eyed the rest as they stared at her in return.
Charlotte nodded and turned to the kitchen. She said over her shoulder, “Oh yes. Well, I do not stay in the house proper, but I spend most of my time here.”
Amanda followed Charlotte, hopeful that the children would not do so. To her relief, they all stopped at the kitchen doorway, even if they did continue to stare at her. “I came to ask about Lord Stanhope. I hope am not being forward by doing so.”
“Lord Easterly told you then,” Charlotte said with a frown. She set the small child on the floor. Dot took off towards her brothers and sisters, disappearing back into the den. Charlotte began filling the kettle with water.
